William and Kate’s new court is opened with £60,000 per table gala dinner

THE Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are bringing the glory days back to Kensington Palace.

Kate, Duchess of Cambridge and Prince William are set to transform their Georgian state apartments

Its Georgian state apartments are set to become the focal point of their court’s glittering royal receptions.

Firmly ensconced in Apartment 1A, their luxurious and heavily-protected 21-room new home on the private side of the palace, after moving in last week, William and Kate plan to entertain friends in their own dining room.

But when they are working on official royal duty, the Georgian state apartments, which are normally open to the public during the day, will increasingly become their venue of choice.

It is likely to be the same for Prince Harry, who is living in an apartment in the palace and is expected to move into the couple’s former two-bedroom cottage in the grounds. “This remains an option for him, although there is no specific timescale,” an aide says.

Kate and William are set to transform the court's glittering royal receptions

The three younger royals’ use of the palace state apartments will emphasise their establishment of a separate court at KP, as it is known.

Their key aides have moved over from offices in St James’s Palace to set up in buildings a short distance from their residence. “This is their home now and this is where their court will be for a very long time,” one senior aide says.

The new era will be heralded on October 24 when 100 Women in Hedge Funds, a charity which counts William, Kate, and Harry among its patrons, holds a glamorous gala dinner in the state apartments. Guests are paying up to £60,000 a table - £5,000 per seat – for the best views and, although a few of the cheaper seats at £2,000 per time are still available, most tables have gone.

Palace officials are yet to confirm which of the royals will be attending but as all proceeds go to Action on Addiction, one of the first charities adopted by Kate, it is a fair bet that she will be one of the hosts for the evening, baby George permitting.

It will be the first of many in the new era of the court of KP. Palace officials are also in discussions about another event, pencilled in for November 26.

Kate and William have lined up Jon Bon Jovi to perform

Palace officials are yet to confirm which of the royals will be attending the gala dinner

Details are still being finalised but the plan is for William and Kate to host a winter wonderland themed party inspired by the ice palace in the film Dr Zhivago.

The rock band Bon Jovi, led by lead guitarist and singer Jon Bon Jovi, have been lined up to perform in a marquee in the garden at the bash, according to one report. Guests will again be asked to pay up to £5,000 each to attend a champagne reception in the King’s Gallery before dinner. It will be in aid of Centrepoint, the homeless charity which Princess Diana became so fond of and her son William now represents as patron.

The state apartments, where the great and good of Georgian London came to flatter and mingle with a succession of Kings, are run by Historic Royal Palaces, a charity separate from the Royal Household, which is in charge of the private side of the palace.

Kate and William will ask guests to pay £5000 to attend a champagne reception

Among the rooms are: the Presence Chamber, which contains a gilded armchair that belonged to George II’s son, Frederick; the Privy Chamber, one of Queen Caroline’s favourite entertaining spaces with a fabulous ceiling painted by William Kent in 1723; the Cupola Room, the principal state room where Queen Victoria was christened in 1819; the King’s

Drawing Room and the magnificent King’s Gallery, where William III played soldiers with his little nephew and ultimately caught a chill that led to his death in 1702.

The state apartments, which are open to businesses and individuals to hire for parties, will now increasingly be available for functions involving any of William, Kate and Harry’s chosen charities. “So long as there is a member of the Royal Family in attendance,” says an aide.